Closer
by brightspark
Summary: AU, 2x1, for sonkikyo from LJ. They've been best friends for ages, and Heero wants to get closer still. WAFF abound.


This was written for sonkikyo on LiveJournal. Her request was rather longwinded to include here, but basically, I just hope she likes it. xD

* * *

"Heero?" Duo looked over at him worriedly, noting his friend's not-quite-as-composed-as-usual look. "You okay?"

"What?" He looked up, catching Duo's look and smiling a little. "I'm fine, just… thinking."

His friend snorted a little, sprawling out over his bed and closing his eyes. "Right. Don't get lost in that head of yours."

"It's you that might break yourself thinking too hard," he retorted, his eyes settling on Duo, trailing down the long braid that hung over the edge of the bed, the tip brushing the floor. He reached over and tugged it gently. "Hey, sit up. I've got something to give you."

He sat up, crossing his legs and tilting his head to one side, giving Heero a look. "Something to give me? It's not my birthday or anything, so why've you got me something?"

"Found you something," Heero corrected, standing up and sitting down again, this time beside Duo instead of on the floor. He leaned down, picked up his bag, rummaged around for a minute, searching. He felt Duo's eyes on his back and his face burned.

They had such a comfortable friendship; he never had to feel afraid of speaking his mind to Duo, never had to hide anything from him. Duo seemed to take everything in his stride, even when maybe it should have made him feel uncomfortable. He'd not minded one bit when he had figured out that Heero was gay – in fact, he'd laughed, slung an arm around Heero's shoulders, and immediately started eyeing up potential boyfriends for him instead of girlfriends, completely unphased.

He found the box, sitting up and leaning back against the wall with a soft huff, not looking at Duo as he passed him the cardboard box. "Just some things I thought you'd like," he said, gruffly, hiding his shyness.

He didn't watch as Duo lifted the lid, curiously gentle with it, his fingers long and graceful as he peeled back protective wrapping.

"Fuck," Duo said, laughing breathily, and suddenly it was okay to look at him again, his eyes bright. Heero's mouth curved into a smile.

"You weren't expecting that," he stated, taking pleasure in the way Duo's eyes had lit up.

"Where did you _find_ all of this stuff?"

Heero shrugged. "You dragged me along to all the concerts, I picked up things to remind me of the days… but I thought you'd appreciate it more than me, you're the one that actually likes the band."

Duo grinned at him, "I knew taking you along would come in useful sometime." He reached out and ruffled Heero's hair teasingly, pausing just a second before his hand slipped away. He looked about to say something, stopped, then spoke very quietly. "Thanks, Heero."

"It's okay," he said, awkward, not used to the utterly serious look on Duo's face.

"Seriously. You knew all that shit meant something to me, and I know, too, that you don't keep something unless you actually want it. So thank you."

He looked at Duo's face with a mixture of feelings. A little sadness that he couldn't put into words – yet – how he felt for Duo. Happiness that he'd made that serious, but definitely happy, look appear there. Duo's face was always laughing, but he wasn't always happy. Old times, old memories, like those concerts, like the concerts themselves, always made him smile.

"Why, though?" He cocked his head to the side and gave Heero a look that made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to," he said, softly.

It was a sunny day, and the two boys were at the field where they'd spent half the summer most of the time when they were children. Duo sat on the back of the bench, never one to sit on the seat as he was supposed to, and Heero, as subtly as possibly, rested his cheek on Duo's knee.

It had been Heero's suggestion; they hadn't been to the field in a long time. It was a place that was full of memories for both of them, usually shared memories. It had been the place where they had met.

Duo remembered it clearly. He had been playing football with a handful of other boys and girls, and Heero had been watching them. He'd left the game and approached the boy, who had the oddest expression on his face, half wistful, half aloof.

'Want to play?' he'd asked.

Heero had hesitated, then. But he had played, stiff at first, gradually relaxing. He'd been there again the next day, and so the friendship had developed.

It was there that they'd gone on the evenings when they had to get out, when they needed someone to talk to. They'd been there in the dark, sometimes, setting a flashlight on the ground and using it to climb trees. Or rather, Duo had climbed, and Heero had watched, anxious, not wanting to get his clothes torn or dirty.

The memories were on the surface, and Duo played with the long strands of Heero's hair, enjoying the warmth of his cheek against his knee.

"Why did you decide to drag me here?" he asked, quietly, his fingers twirling to wrap Heero's fine, silky hair around them.

There was a soft sigh and Heero shifted, making Duo tug his hair a little. Duo murmured a quick apology, keeping his hands to himself, resting his arms against his legs and leaning forward.

They remained quiet, Duo waiting, and then Heero spoke, not looking at Duo. "I wanted to make you remember."

"Why?"

"Because I can't forget." He shrugged, awkward, and then the words tumbled out. "I felt like I wanted to know you, wanted to be closer to you, back then. I still do."

"What…? You're my best friend, Heero; you can't get much closer than that." Duo frowned, puzzled, pretending to himself that he didn't know where Heero was leading. "What do you mean?"

He looked down at his hands, the words inside him blocking up again, until he could barely force a word out. "Closer. Just… closer."

They were silent for a long time, until little spots of rain started coming down, and then Duo jumped off the bench and turned to Heero with a grin. "Time to go?"

"Yeah," Heero said, hiding his disappointment that Duo hadn't said a word.

Duo took Heero's hand, as they walked home. He didn't say anything; just slid his hand into Heero's and twined their fingers together.

A little smile appeared on Heero's face where before there had been just a moody look and he squeezed Duo's hand, gently.


End file.
